1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tissue culture microscope apparatus that allows observation of a cell in culture.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a trend for molecular biological or biophysical research to use a cultured cell. The normal indoor environment in which a light microscope is used adversely affects the cell in culture because the cell environment in culture differs from such indoor environment.
A specific tissue cell microscope is reported in which a light microscope and an incubator for maintaining an environment suitable for cell culture are combined together, allowing observation of a cell in culture (see JP-A No. 2006-11415 (KOKAI), for example).
In a cell culture experiment, dosing for the cell is sometimes required. Since an environment suitable for cell culture is maintained within the incubator (cell culture space), dosing through an opening of the incubator results in changes in the cell culture environment and causes a difference in temperature between the specimen and the reagent. As a result, the dosing causes out of focus objects and has temperature effects on the cell.
Using a specific dosing apparatus, which is installed in the incubator, can avoid to change the cell culture environment and to have temperature effects on the cell. However, since frequency of use of the reagent is low, for example, one dosing per experiment, such a specific dosing apparatus provides a low cost-effectiveness. Also, installing the specific dosing apparatus makes the whole incubator complicated and thus makes it hard to clean. Insufficient cleaning makes it easy to get mold.
Operation on a cell in culture, such as dosing, using the conventional apparatus without a change in cell culture environment, when feasible, is beneficial.